enano
/eˈnano/
The English phrase 'runt' is translated into Spanish as enano.
The term refers to the smallest or weakest animal within a litter or a pack. To be more precise than using the word enano, one can use the phrase el más pequeño de la camada to describe a runt.
Meaning: the smallest or the weakest animal of a litter or a pack (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word enano changes to enana if the animal being referred to is female.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈnano/
Did you know?
- The word enano shares the same Greek root as the English prefix 'nano-', which we use to describe something incredibly small, like a 'nanometer'.
- The word enano is used in the name of the 'Dwarf Planet' category in Spanish astronomy, referred to as planeta enano.
- While enano means 'dwarf' or 'midget', calling a person this in many Spanish-speaking cultures can be significantly more offensive than in English due to different social taboos.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are looking at a group of new kittens.
- ElenaMira este gatito, es el enano.Look at this kitten, he is the runt.
- DanielEs verdad, es mucho más pequeño.That's true, he is much smaller.
- ElenaPero es el más juguetón de todos.But he is the most playful of all.
- DanielMe encanta el enano, Daniel.I love the runt, Daniel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry enano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries enano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
